


won't you kill me just a little

by Skyson



Series: Stakeouts or Makeouts? [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Coulace, Coulson x Mace, First Time, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, On the Run, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Tropes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 12:45:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16095938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: Jeff and his big ol' crush on Phil.





	won't you kill me just a little

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lola381pce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lola381pce/gifts).



> For lola381pce, who with very little effort persuaded me to write another "there was only one bed!" fic ;-)
> 
> "Can't Stop", Dave Matthews Band, _Come Tomorrow_.

 

 

"How long do we have to hide out for?" Jeff wondered as he sat down on the edge of one of the beds, watching Phil as he glanced through the bathroom and then looked out the windows before tugging the curtains closed.

"You know the drill. Until the threat on your life is neutralized." Phil responded, sliding the chain through the lock on the door.

Jeff sighed, nodded, and reached up to tug the knot of his tie loose. They would wait on a phone call from Mack, or May, then. Jeff hoped that wouldn't take too long. He had a meeting with President Ellis at the end of the week that he still needed to finish preparing for.

"And you're sure we're safe here?" He asked dubiously, glancing around the hotel room again. Anybody could've recognized them at the front desk downstairs, and it wasn't exactly a place fortified against an attack. Honestly, Jeff had expected Phil to take him to a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house.

"If we don't hear word by nightfall, we'll spend the night here but relocate at daybreak." Phil told him, and he raised his eyebrow.

"Relocate?" He repeated.

**\---**

 

"We only have singles. We're in the middle of upgrading our rooms, and the others are already taken." The motel owner gave Jeff and Phil a dubious look before meeting Phil's eyes again.

"Let me guess; getting the carpets replaced?" Jeff grumbled, and the owner glanced at him in surprise.

"How'd you know?"

"A single is fine." Phil replied easily, with a casual smile on his face. The owner still watched them warily as he prepared their room keys and handed them a small envelope that included the wifi password.

"TV list is in the room. Maid comes by around nine, so, if you don't want interrupted, don't forget the do-not-disturb sign on the door."

"Got it." Phil replied.

"Why in the world would we - "

"Thank you," Phil gave the motel owner one more smile, gripping Jeff's elbow tightly as he pulled him away from the counter and guided him toward the door.

"Seriously, I can't just get my own room? We can afford two singles!" Jeff protested as they headed across the gravel parking lot toward the car.

"It's not safe enough for you to be by yourself in a room. Protocol, Jeff." Phil replied calmly. "Also, we don't need to call attention to ourselves, okay? The more we hang around in there with that guy, the more he's going to start assuming."

"I think he's already assuming quite enough!" Jeff pointed out, and Phil merely gave him a close-lipped smile and unlocked the trunk of the car.

"Get the bags while I check the room." He told Jeff, and turned to head toward the motel rooms, following the doors until he reached the one he was looking for.

Jeff sighed heavily, but did as he was told. Maybe they would sleep in shifts, and take turns being on watch. Or, better yet, maybe Phil wasn't tired at all and he'd let Jeff sleep through the night while he kept watch. He was acting like a damn guard dog, anyway.

He shuffled into the room just as Phil was closing the curtains to the front window, and he shook his head fondly as he set both of their bags on the little stand beside of the dresser. He had quite quickly caught up on Phil's hiding-out habits, and while it might be keeping the two of them safe, it only further invoked the image of a guard dog.

"I'm going to grab us dinner while it's still light out. Want anything in particular?" Phil asked as Jeff sat down on the edge of the bed to remove his shoes. Jeff paused and gaped up at Phil in indignation.

"What, so I'm allowed to be alone as long as it's on _your_  terms?"

"Yes." Phil replied calmly. "And I'm only going out to grab fast-food close by." He pointed at Jeff. "You are going to lock the door behind me and not leave this room for any reason while I'm gone."

"I am, am I?" Jeff snarked, raising his eyebrow. "Just who's the boss here, anyway?"

"When it comes to keeping you safe, I am." Phil opened up his duffel and grabbed his Icer, checking the mag before lifting up his shirt to tuck the weapon into his waistband. Jeff blinked in surprise at the glimpse of a hip dent, but Phil turned to him before he could mull over that too much. "Do not leave this room," Phil ordered seriously, and Jeff swallowed down the sudden rather arousing curiosity that he had. "Understand?"

"Okay, okay," Jeff held his hands up, trying to get Phil to ease up. "I'll lock the door and I won't leave." He promised. "Cheeseburger?" He requested hopefully, and Phil nodded.

"I'll be back soon. Don't call anybody either!" He added as a last thought. "I've already unplugged the room phone, and the sat is for a serious emergency. I don't trust that the Watchdogs or whoever ordered that hit couldn't hack us."

"Okay." Jeff muttered, toeing his shoes off with a little more frustration. He felt like a teenager in trouble again, like he'd gotten caught smoking weed in the bathroom or something.

"Cheeseburgers," Phil repeated with a small smile, and then suggested, "Watch some TV or something."

Jeff made a face after the door closed between them, and sat there rebelliously for a moment before he eventually sighed and pushed himself back to his feet to go lock the door. Figuring he wasn't going to leave for the rest of the night - unless they had to make a quick-getaway - he changed into his sleep pants and lounged on the bed, perusing the TV guide before turning the box on.

He snorted as he flipped through a couple of different pay-per-view pages; it was tempting to prank Phil and have some porno playing when he walked back into the room. Then again, those were expensive, and probably wouldn't look so good on the expense report back at HQ. Still, he amused himself with the thought for a few moments, picturing Phil's reaction as he walked in right during a climactic moment on screen.

Then he started thinking about Phil walking in on _him_  during a climactic moment, and he blushed deeply. Little did Phil - or anyone else on God's Green Earth - know, but Jeff harbored a pretty serious crush on the agent. Phil still annoyed him quite often, but Jeff admired him greatly, as well. He was every bit the agent that Jeff wished he was - charming, a crack shot, bad-ass, and deadly in a suit. Jeff knew a lot of that had to do with training, and that he could become better if he kept up his exercises with Agent Piper, but there was just something about Phil... something he had that none of the other agents had. Something naturally alluring.

Jeff realized that he was daydreaming about his partner, and he blinked quickly, forcing himself back into awareness. He shifted up against the pillows and reached for the television remote, intent on distracting himself with some old westerns or something.

Ten minutes into it, the dashing and mysterious lead character was ordering the female barmaid to stay behind, hide in her bedroom above the bar while he went outside to take care of the dastardly villain. She was being coy and flirty, sassing his attempts to order her around, which served to increase the sexual tension in the scene, until eventually the two were kissing heavily.

Jeff wasn't watching it, really. He was daydreaming again, about Phil ordering him to stay in the room. About Phil growling that he was the one calling the shots, now, and that Jeff was going to listen. About Phil ordering Jeff to get on his knees in front of him, and to stay still while he fisted himself and came over Jeff's face...

Jeff sucked in a loud gasp and wrenched his eyes open, both appalled and rather amazed with himself. Where had _that_  come from? While it was a decidedly arousing image, Jeff didn't usually allow himself to daydream that much about his partner. It was too dangerous; someday thoughts like those might overwhelm him when he was supposed to be in the middle of a meeting, or something.

Then again... he _was_  currently alone in the room. And Phil hadn't been gone for very long; he would probably still be another fifteen or twenty minutes before he returned. That could be enough time, just for Jeff to get this out of his system and back to normal before he actually had to look at Phil face-to-face. And with an imagination like _that_ , he probably didn't even need fifteen minutes.

Jeff bit his lip, feeling a little naughty about masturbating in a room he was supposed to be sharing with somebody else. Especially considering that somebody was the same person he was picturing while he did it.

"Shower would be better," He muttered to himself, hopping up immediately and checking out the bathroom. It'd be safer, anyway, because he wouldn't have to later look at Phil standing in the same space he'd jacked off in.

Then he started imaging Phil watching him jacking off, and he barely managed to kick his pants and briefs off fast enough, one hand curling around his length as the other reached to turn the water on. He fisted himself slowly as the water warmed, working himself up into a pleasant heady state before stepping under the hot spray.

**\---**

 

"You seem to be in a better mood." Phil commented hours later.

"A full belly will do that," Jeff joked, knowing the food was only half the reason. His orgasm in the shower earlier had been a particularly nice one and it'd been a while, honestly.

"Well, then maybe you won't fuss so much when I tell you that I sleep on the right side of the bed." Phil replied, lifting one ankle atop his knee so he could untie his shoe.

"Well I sleep on the left, so that's perfect." Jeff replied easily, distractedly, as he watched the television from said left side of the bed. Smokey and The Bandit was on.

Phil's silence drew Jeff's attention over toward the small table by the window, where Phil was sitting by what remained of their fast-food wrappers and bags.

"That's it?" Phil wondered with surprise. Jeff realized what had been said, and he tried to shrug it off, pointedly turning his head back toward the television, mentally gritting his teeth as he hoped his ears didn't turn red with embarrassment.

Phil was alluding that they would sleep in the same bed. At the same time.

Shit, Jeff really shouldn't have imagined Phil so much earlier when he'd been jacking off. Suddenly, this somewhat small bed seemed even smaller than ever.

"Since you were in the shower when I got back, is it cool if I hop in? Need to do anything else before bed?" Phil checked, removing his socks as well before standing up and walking over toward the bag that held their dirty clothes.

Socks and underwear all mixed together; how domestic.

"Bathroom is all yours," Jeff managed to tell him. "I'm good."

Phil nodded in acknowledgement, and grabbed his sleep shorts and shirt to take into the bathroom with him before he closed the door between them. Jeff couldn't help but listen to the sounds of the water, wondering, but when his dick started stirring with interest, he quickly rolled over onto his side and squeezed his eyes closed, forcing himself to think about something else.

By the time Phil was finished in the bathroom, Jeff was actually almost asleep, and Phil rather adorably tip-toed about the room as he turned off the television, put his clothes away, and then turned out the lights.

Jeff held his breath as he felt the mattress dip behind him as Phil crawled in. Phil pulled the sheet up and quickly settled, though, and his even breaths eventually lulled Jeff into relaxation.

**\---**

 

Jeff woke up in the morning with his nose tucked against Phil’s neck, beneath his jaw. He was still curled on his side, but facing Phil now, his arms tucked up against his chest and his knees pressing into the side of Phil’s hip. Phil was on his back, his arm closest to Jeff resting atop his own stomach, and the other stretched out beside him, half hanging off the edge of the bed. Phil’s morning stubble was rough against Jeff’s nose, and his scent totally surrounded him, and Jeff wanted nothing more than to just stay exactly like this for a little while longer.

Unfortunately, Phil grumbled something under his breath, and then shifted a little; rolling his shoulders and stretching his left arm down straight. His hand flopped sleepily onto the mattress above Jeff's knees, the back of his knuckles brushing against Jeff’s pants and calling attention to Jeff’s morning wood.

“Fuck,” Jeff whispered, shifting his head back slightly so that he wasn’t quite so pressed against Phil’s neck. Phil shivered at Jeff’s breath against his skin, the corner of his lip quirking upward just a bit. Overwhelmed by Phil as he was, the gesture made his stomach curl in anticipation and his cock harden more. “You smell so good,” Jeff sighed softly, feeling brave enough to admit it while Phil was asleep. He'd noticed that a long time ago; how attracted he was to Phil's scent, but it was made quite apparent last night after Phil had stepped out of the bathroom, the warm and steamy air smelling entirely like him.

Jeff didn't want to push his luck, though, so then he carefully slipped out of the bed and shut himself away in the bathroom, shaving his face before hopping into the shower. He tried not to think too much about how he and Phil were using the same soap and shampoo. It was something a little too domestic, and it only led him to daydream about Phil's cologne again; considering that even though they shared the same motel bath soaps, he still smelled distinctly 'Phil'.

Standing with his eyes closed and his nose still full of Phil's scent, it was easy to picture Phil standing there in the shower with him. Of their own accord, his fingers slipped down the front of his chest, pretending to be Phil's hand as they wrapped around his cock. Phil made him so easy; within moments he was hard and leaking, and he brushed his finger along his cockhead, imagining what Phil's tongue might feel like. His heart thudded in his chest at that and he bit his lip in an attempt to hold back his quiet moan.

A knock on the door made him freeze, and he unintentionally gripped himself tightly, his veins throbbing.

"Hey, I really... I've gotta pee something fierce. Can I come in real quick?" Phil called through the door.

Jeff blinked, unmoving beneath the spray of water. He felt terrified, but his cock didn't seem to care; still swollen and dripping as it demanded release.

"What?" He wondered dumbly, his tone too shrill. He quietly cleared his throat, and covered up his obvious terror by warning, "You'd better not flush!"

The door opened, and then closed, and he could hear Phil's amused laughter.

"Don't worry, I won't make it cold on ya. Thanks, man. All that soda before bed was a bad idea."

In all honesty, a douse of cold water would probably be perfect right now. Phil was right on the other side of that curtain, while Jeff stood here completely naked with his dick in his hand. Even worse, Phil _also_  had his dick in his hand - and it didn't matter that he was just taking a piss.

Jeff swallowed hard and clenched his free hand tightly until his nails dug into the skin of his palm. He could _not_  moan right now, no way.

Phil sighed in relief as his bladder was emptied, and Jeff closed his eyes as the sound curled right down his spine and landed solidly in his balls. His hand began moving again with no conscious order of his own, slow but determined strokes with just the right twist at the end that made his muscles tighten with pleasure.

"Okay, done." Phil announced, before Jeff heard the sound of the sink water running. "I'll leave you alone now. Hey, fifteen minutes I wanna be out the door, okay? We've got to get rolling." The sink turned off, and Jeff slowed his stroking even further as he tried to dig his brain out of the fog of arousal.

"Get rolling?" He repeated. "Are we headed home?"

"No. I received word from Mack that there's a mole. While they work on weeding it out, I've got a place for us to lay low. Unfortunately without the jet it's two days away, but I know it's safe because it's not in any of the S.H.I.E.L.D. databases."

Jeff groaned, half in dismay and half in pleasure at what he could only assume would be _at least_  three more days alone with Phil Coulson. Phil chuckled, thankfully only picking up on the dismay.

"I know, I know. Just trust us to figure it out, okay? Remember - fifteen minutes." Phil told him, and then he heard the door open and close.

He waited for a moment, making sure that he was actually alone again, before he reached down with his other hand and tugged at his balls, encouraging his orgasm. He came hard and thankfully silently, his mouth open and his throat clenched shut as he forced himself not to make a sound, pumping himself through it until he was totally spent.

He breathed heavily beneath the spray of the water until his pulse slowed back to normal, and all evidence of his orgasm was washed down the drain.

After stepping out of the tub, he flushed the toilet with shaking fingers. He wasn't sure he could survive even two more days alone with Phil, _especially_  if that meant another single-room deal.

"Hey," Phil gave him an odd little smile as Jeff picked up the bags and he took the room keys to return to the motel owner. "Another shower already? You're such a neat freak." He teased, his eyes glancing up toward Jeff's wet hair before back down his body. "I can't complain, I guess; at least you smell good." He was smirking with mirth as he walked away, so thankfully didn't see Jeff staring after him, gaping a little, wondering if he'd just been checked out.

Phil was a man - maybe he knew why Jeff was taking another shower this morning. He'd been on the run with people before; he understood that sometimes the shower was the only time a guy could get a little alone time. Hopefully he just wouldn't question exactly _why_  Jeff had wanted a little alone time.

(Phil thought he smelled good!)

Jeff beamed quietly to himself and ducked his head as he turned toward the car, managing to school his features by the time he'd closed the trunk and Phil approached the driver's side door.

**\---**

 

Jeff was very good the next couple of days, and did very well to keep both his mind and his body occupied on other things outside of Phil Coulson. It especially helped that they managed to procure rooms that had two beds, both nights.

The problem began again when they arrived at Phil's safe house, and Jeff quickly realized that it was really only designed to house one person. Or maybe two _very close_  people.

It was a decent-sized apartment, with a nice kitchen that promised they wouldn't have to keep surviving off of fast-food. The living room even had a working tv, though the couch was small and didn't look like it could comfortably fit Phil, much less Jeff. Granted, Phil wasn't all that much shorter than him, but still. He wasn't about to force the man to sleep curled up on that thing for who-knows how long.

But he didn't think he could survive the single bedroom, single bed deal. Not again. Just remembering waking up with his face tucked against Phil's neck, breathing in his warmth during the sleepy morning hours, made Jeff's entire body perk up with interest. No, no - he wasn’t strong enough for that.

"How about homemade lemon chicken tonight?" Phil suggested while Jeff silently fretted. "I could use some real food. Mind putting some water on to boil, for noodles?" While Phil was turned toward the fridge, removing some of the ingredients that he'd bought at the grocery store on their way into town, Jeff quickly pushed his hands through his hair and forced himself to calm down.

It would be fine. They managed this long. Cooking dinner together would be a snap.

"You're quiet." Phil mused after the water had come to a boil and Jeff had dropped in the noodles. "More than usual. Everything okay?"

"Yeah." Jeff sighed softly. "I just..." He didn't want to complain. He should be grateful, honestly - _he_  was the one with a hit out on him. Phil was just doing his job; protecting him. Honestly, if anyone should be put out it should probably be Phil.

"You want to be back at HQ. I get it." Phil nodded gently.

"Why can't we?" Jeff wondered, leaning back against the counter beside the stove as he watched Phil work at the island counter. "Is headquarters not  _safer_  than random motel rooms? Even this off-the-books safe house?"

"Compared to the motel rooms, maybe," Phil conceded, "but not the safe house. Mack still hasn't found the mole. He and Daisy are working on weeding out as much information as possible, to make sure there isn't an entire group planning a coup or something. Then they'll oust the mole and things will settle and we can return."

Jeff folded his arms across his chest and pouted.

"They can't do that with me there?"

"It's easier if they don't have to worry about keeping you safe _and_  find the mole."

"So you've just got to play bodyguard all by yourself, then. Seems like it doesn't make it very easy on you." Jeff muttered. He missed Phil glance over at him, grinning sideways.

"It worked for Whitney Houston, didn't it?" Phil joked. Jeff startled, jerking his gaze back up toward Phil. Phil was focused on carefully slicing up the chicken breasts into smaller pieces, and Jeff felt his blood humming through his veins as he admired the way Phil's shirt pulled taut across his back. He'd rolled his sleeves up while he cooked, revealing strong forearms that Jeff had frequently daydreamed about before.

His shirt was tucked into his trousers; a grey pair that Jeff wasn't sure he'd seen before today. They fit Phil very nicely, especially in the back.

He couldn't help but smile a little to himself as he admired Phil's ass. He wondered how those trousers fit him in the front, too - and he was suddenly glad that he hadn't actually looked, yet, because he was sure he wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself if he had.

Jeff bit his lip as he turned toward the stove and focused on stirring the noodles a bit, keeping them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

"You salted the water, right?" Phil checked suddenly, and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Yes, dear." He replied dryly, the teasing endearment rolling off of his tongue without a second thought. Phil only chuckled softly, and they worked together in silence after that.

By the time dinner had been eaten and dishes had been cleaned, Jeff announced more than happily that he could take the couch the first night. Phil eyeballed him dubiously, but didn't argue too much.

"You're an adult. If you seriously want to sleep on that thing, be my guest." Phil shrugged, and gave him a little salute before disappearing into the bedroom. "See you in the morning."

"Night," Jeff returned, waiting until the bedroom door closed before he collapsed onto the couch cushion with a sigh of relief. It had taken every ounce of his self control not to reach out and touch Phil periodically over dinner, in ways that he normally would do when on a date, when wanting to flirt with said date.

He really needed to figure out some kind of exercising he could be doing, or something, because his body was really starting to act out of his control and he needed to get a handle on himself.

**\---**

 

"Dude, just sleep in the bed with me tonight. The couch cannot be that comfortable for you. Besides, it's not like we haven't shared bed space before." Phil told Jeff the very next night. Jeff opened his mouth to argue, and Phil raised his eyebrow.

And that was how Jeff found himself, once again, curled up next to Phil. He hadn't really argued that hard at all, because he hadn't wanted to.

Of _course_  he'd wanted to sleep next to Phil again. He'd been downright craving it for days now. He loved listening to Phil's breathing get heavier and slower as he fell asleep; half-snoring, half-purring if he slept on his back. He loved being totally surrounded by Phil's scent at night, feeling protected and safe in a way that Phil being awake with an Icer in his hand didn't even provide. He even loved that mix of terror and excitement that Phil was so close to him, close enough for there to be such a tiny space of _not close enough_ , and -

"Jeffrey?"

"What?" He responded carefully into the darkness. He'd rolled over to face Phil, but only because sleeping on that side of his body was more comfortable. He'd had to really persuade himself to do so, anyway. If they started having a conversation now, he was going to keep his eyes closed. Not focusing on how close-and-not-close-enough he was laying next to Phil.

"I can hear you thinking. Go to sleep." Phil teased, a light laugh in his breath, and by the sound of his voice Jeff realized that Phil was facing him as well.

Jeff swallowed and breathed slowly, forcing his brain to calm down before it started completely short-circuiting or something. At least this bed was larger than the last one they had shared.

"Sorry." He mumbled after a moment.

"It's okay. Hey, maybe tomorrow morning we can go out for a swim? The weather claims the water will be calmer tomorrow." Phil offered.

Jeff pictured Phil Coulson out there on the beach with him, wearing swim shorts that were much too small and tight-fitting to be realistic, and he clenched his jaw.

"Yeah, maybe." He relented, thinking about Talbot in the same outfit so he could keep himself from becoming too aroused. He shuddered a little, and then rolled over onto his back.

"Cold? I could go grab another blanket," Phil offered, and Jeff shook his head, even though it was probably too dark for Phil to see the gesture.

"No, it's fine," Jeff promised, tugging the sheet up a little further over his chest.

"Maybe if you'd put a shirt on at night..." Phil muttered under his breath. Jeff opened his eyes in surprise.

"What?"

"Nothing." Phil replied quickly. "G'night." And with that he turned over, putting his back toward Jeff.

Jeff sighed quietly, and closed his eyes again.

**\---**

 

Fingers danced across his lower back and he sighed happily, arching his spine just a little, sleepy and filled with pleasure. Those fingers traced up the line of his back until blunt nails scraped against the nape of his neck, only to slide back down, down low, teasing at the edge of his sleep pants. They didn't push beneath the fabric, they just hovered against his skin there, hesitating.

"You smell so good, too," Phil's murmured lowly in his sleepy morning voice, and Jeff opened his eyes immediately, suddenly sharply awake. "Smell a little like me. I like it." Phil's lips brushed against the back of Jeff's neck, and Jeff's eyes fluttered closed briefly.

"Phil?" He wondered carefully, frantically trying to figure out if he was having some sort of lucid dream. He could feel the weight and heat of Phil at his back, though he still was only touching him with barely the tips of his fingers, and a light brush of his mouth.

"Can I touch you?" Phil whispered, his fingers dancing atop Jeff's waist. "Please?"

" _Please_?" Jeff repeated, half-incredulous. Phil took that as confirmation and flattened his palm against Jeff's waist, dragging it back and along his spine, his thumb pressing curiously against bone and muscle. "Fuck," Jeff whispered, his nerve endings lighting up beneath Phil's touch.

" _Finally_ ," Phil sighed longingly, sliding his hand slowly all over Jeff's back, as if he were trying to memorize him by touch. Jeff had just barely managed to wrap his mind around the fact that Phil was touching him before Phil pushed his hand over his side and then pressed it against his chest. He curled his body firmly along Jeff's back, tucking his knees into the bend of Jeffrey's and leaving no space between them.

"Phil - " Jeff croaked, his brain completely short-circuiting, overwhelmed by the sensation of Phil's body against his. He _had_  to be dreaming right now.

Phil's hand slid across Jeff's chest, parsing through the hair there before trailing lower, over his stomach, against his belly-button, finding another trail of hair that led beneath his sleep pants. Jeff could feel Phil's cock, hard between their layers of pants, pressing insistently against his ass.

He was _definitely_  dreaming right now.

Just as Phil's fingers slipped beneath the waistband of his pants, Jeff gasped roughly, and jerked himself awake.

"Jeffrey?" Phil mumbled sleepily, rolling over slightly to peer one bleary eye over his shoulder in Jeff's direction. "Okay? Nightmare?"

"No," Jeff hurriedly answered, thoroughly embarrassed, and also thoroughly aroused.

"S' okay," Phil soothed, rolling over more completely and reaching for Jeff without hesitation. "I'll protect you." His palm landed atop Jeff's chest, simply resting there comfortingly, and then he snored once.

Jeff stared up at the ceiling in amazement as his emotions swirled. Phil Coulson even wanting to protect him from his nightmares struck him way too close to the heart. His arousal gave way to the other feeling that soon rushed throughout his entire body - love.

He was in love with this man.

After a moment, Jeff rested his hand atop Phil's, holding it against his chest, and Phil didn't budge at all. Jeff closed his eyes as he tucked his fingers beneath Phil's palm and lay there in respect of the moment.

**\---**

 

Jeff wasn't sure when he fell back asleep, but when he woke up, Phil's hand was still trapped beneath his own atop his chest. It was also daylight, and Phil's body was also much closer than it had been before.

"Good morning." Phil mused carefully, with a hesitant smile on his face. Jeff opened his eyes, and slowly turned his head to face Phil. He was close enough that this put them well within kissing distance. And screw him for having gorgeous eyes - Jeff wanted nothing more than to kiss him good morning.

He realized his thumb was stroking against Phil's knuckles, and he stopped doing it immediately. Phil's brow twitched, then, and he brushed his own thumb against Jeff's chest.

"You've slept shirtless every single night we've been hiding out." Phil noted. "Even when we share a bed."

"If I knew it bothered you, I would've put a shirt on," Jeff pointed out, his throat raw from sleep, and he let his hand slide off of Phil's. He wondered with dread if he'd slept with his mouth hanging open, and snored obscenely. Phil's face did a weird thing that quickly made Jeff forget about snoring.

"No," Phil said quickly, and Jeff squinted at him a little. Phil's cheeks tinged red, and his eyes darted down toward his hand, which he slid off of Jeff's chest albeit somewhat slowly. Like he was loathe to do so. "Just reminds me that I need to work out more," Phil quipped, rolling over and getting off of the bed.

Jeff pushed himself up onto his hands, watching him with a furrowed brow as he almost nervously approached the dresser on the opposite side of the room, rummaging through one of the drawers. His skin still tingled from Phil's touch.

"There are extra clothes in here, which you probably want to take a look at. Much less conspicuous than roaming around the waterfront wearing a button-up and trousers. And..." He made a triumphant noise as he pulled something free. "Extra swim suits." He glanced at Jeff as he headed out into the hall. "We've been cooped up for days; I could use a swim. You should join me."

Jeff gaped at the empty doorway as he heard the bathroom door close down the hall. This whole situation was only feeling more and more domestic, and Jeff found himself wishing that maybe the two of them were actually on vacation somewhere, and not just hiding out while a threat was being taken care of back home.

But he wasn't going to spit at opportunity when it was so obviously placed in front of him. He scrambled out of the bed and rummaged through the drawer as well, finding another pair of swim trunks and quickly exchanging his pajama pants for them.

In any case, maybe a swim in the ocean would exhaust him enough that he wouldn't have the energy to want Phil so much.

**\---**

 

There were no warning flags flying about rip currents, and it was early enough in the morning that there was only one other person in the vicinity, in their own little world as they jogged parallel to the surf, headphones in their ears.

Phil was already standing with his feet in the tide, watching the beginnings of the sunrise. Jeff stopped a few feet back, unable to keep his eyes off of him.

Why hadn't _he_  been shirtless at all up to this point? Jeff literally felt his mouth water, and he hurriedly swallowed, embarrassed by how quickly his body responded to the sight. Whatever Phil thought of himself, he certainly had no issue in the fitness department - especially his arms. Jeff wanted to run his fingers along the curve of muscle, feel how firm it was.

He quietly cleared his throat, and strode by Phil without looking at him, as if he were totally nonplussed by his presence. The surf was cold against his feet, but he kept walking determinedly until he was standing up to his thighs, needing that cold shock to take his arousal away before Phil noticed it.

He hissed as his body took a minute to acclimate to the temperature, but then he dove forward into the next wave, submerging himself completely into the water to get it over with. It took some strength to push out against the heavier waves, but soon enough he was out far enough that his feet just barely touched the sandy bottom if he stretched.

The water wasn't actually too bad, now, and he floated on his back for a moment, the waves more of a gentle roll in this area. All of his tension slipped away fairly quickly, until eventually he wasn't even thinking about S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. He was just a guy relaxing in the ocean for a bit; a guy admittedly desperately in love with his partner who was also floating around here somewhere, but his existential crisis didn't seem to matter quite as much out here in the water.

After a few more moments, he rolled onto his stomach and began swimming with a little more intent, occasionally letting the waves drift him closer to the beach before swimming back out again. The exercise quickly drained him, as he wasn't used to swimming in water that pushed back, and eventually he half-swam, half-floated his way until he could push himself up on all fours and crawl far enough forward that only his feet were still in the lapping water.

The sand was mildly warmer, now, as the sun had risen higher in the sky, and he folded his arms above him to pillow his cheek against the backs of his hands, letting the breeze dry his hair and back. This was _very_  nice. He wondered why Phil didn't make excuses to come out to this safe house more often.

He focused from his mild dozing off when he heard splashing in the surf behind him, and then the grunt of Phil dropping into the sand next to him. He opened one eye, peering over to find Phil lying on his back, his hands folded together behind his head as he gazed up at the sky.

Jeff opened his other eye, too, and took hold of the other opportunity presented to him; to observe Phil relaxed, completely at ease. He also noted, this close to him, the freckles that adorned his shoulder. His quite toned shoulder, as well as his biceps. Phil had very nice arms.

The mild ache in Jeff's muscles from his swim did not distract him from his attraction to Phil, and he sighed quietly. Phil had more hair on his chest than Jeff did, darkened by dampness from his own swim, and Jeff closed his eyes again before he got too distracted by those droplets of water curving along his chest and stomach.

"Are you asleep?" Phil wondered softly after a while. Jeff wasn't, but he didn't move.

"Mmph." He mumbled. He was too comfortable right now; further warmed by the sun, and pleased by Phil's presence within arm's reach. Phil probably wanted to talk about work, about when they should prepare for the all clear to return back to base, and Jeff didn't want to just yet. He wanted to suspend this moment for as long as he could, this moment where he felt like he wasn't the Director, or The Patriot, or anybody's boss. He was just a guy lounging on a beach with his friend that he sort of wanted to be more than a friend.

"Jeffrey?" Phil asked again, lower and quieter this time, his voice pointed more directly toward him.

It took every ounce of strength Jeff had not to move at all, not to tense up or furrow his brow or flutter his eyelids in any indication that he had heard Phil. His tone made him breathless...

Fingers slid lightly over the back of his shoulder, around the curve of bone, pressing gently into his muscle.

Jeff moaned without thinking, a soft sound that was carried away in the breeze, but the hesitation of Phil's hand revealed that he'd still heard it. Jeff didn't move now because he was filled with terror. He was also sharply reminded of his dream the night before, and desperately sent up a silent prayer that his dick would keep out of the situation.

Phil shifted in the sand again, and Jeff figured he was probably getting up and leaving, but instead his fingers pressed into that spot on the back of his shoulder again, more firmly, digging in between his spine and his scapula. It was a mild massage, more exploratory than anything else, but it quickly turned Jeff into butter.

At the very least, he managed not to make any more noises as Phil touched him, but he couldn't half believe it as Phil grew a little more confident, his fingers wandering a little further down Jeff's spine.

This was turning into a _lot_  like his dream from the previous night.

"It doesn't bother me," Phil murmured, his touch causing goosebumps to erupt across Jeff's skin. "The only thing that bothers me is the temptation to touch you," Phil admitted quietly, his palm flattening against Jeff's back. Jeff hoped to God that Phil couldn't tell how hard his heart was hammering. "You're so gorgeous."

Phil thought that _he_  was gorgeous? Jeff could have snorted at that, but he desperately did not want to ruin what was happening right now. How far was Phil gonna go? How much of Jeff's dream was actually gonna come true? Although the beach was more or less empty (he had no idea where that runner had disappeared to, or if they'd be returning to this part of the beach any time soon), they were still in a public location.

Phil’s palm slid warm against the nape of his neck, and he lightly scratched his nails against his scalp, playing with the ends of his hair.

“I didn’t realize your hair was so curly,” Phil sounded happy about the discovery, and Jeff couldn’t help but smile slowly. He really couldn’t help it; the swim and the sun had already felt nice and now Phil was making him feel so _good_. Instead of shying away, afraid to have ‘awoken’ Jeff, his smile seemed to only encourage Phil and he splayed his fingers more firmly through Jeff’s hair, stroking through it slowly.

Jeff hummed softly, digging his toes into the sand. Phil was actually lulling him back into a doze, and he fought with himself for a moment over which he preferred. Then Phil’s other hand landed atop the small of his back, the pads of his fingers dancing leisurely there for a moment. He lightly trailed his nails across Jeff’s skin, making him shiver a little, gathering up the courage to touch Jeff’s wet trunks. His nails slid down over the curve of his ass cheek, just once, before he spread his fingers out and gave it a little squeeze.

Jeff sucked in a breath, curving his hips upward slightly, pushing his ass more firmly into Phil’s hand. His body letting Phil know that he approved, before his brain could say anything otherwise.

Phil let out a quiet, happy sigh, and rubbed his hand appreciatively over Jeff’s ass again, his thumb gliding along achingly close to the cleft between his cheeks.

“We should go back to the apartment.” Jeff blurted, his voice low, his boner uncomfortable against his wet swim trunks and the sand. Phil’s hand froze low around the curve of his ass, and while he had to have known at some point by now that Jeff was awake (Jeff wouldn’t believe Phil’d have touched him like this, otherwise), he still seemed caught off guard by his voice.

Jeff opened his eyes, and shifted his head against his hands slightly to look up at Phil, who was sitting cross-legged by his hip, facing him. Phil’s expression was difficult to read, but Jeff was pleased to note that he didn’t seem embarrassed or put off, at least.

“We should go back to the apartment,” Jeff repeated himself, “before some kids come out here and see the tent in my shorts.”

Phil’s eyes danced with humor before the slow smirk drew across his face, and Jeff licked his bottom lip as he watched him. He wanted to kiss him, more desperately than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. Maybe they had time to do that, first. Maybe they could kiss a little bit, and  _then_  head back to the safe house.

Phil slid his hand from Jeff’s hair, but instead of completely removing his hand from his ass, he slid it upward as Jeff shifted to sit up, and palmed his back again, holding him as he leaned in for a kiss. Jeff was sitting at a bit of an awkward angle but he didn’t want to waste time finding a comfortable position. Phil’s mouth was warm and wet and so very responsive.

Phil’s fingers rubbed soothingly against his back as he curled his tongue into his mouth, mapping him out, tasting him. Jeff moaned, and reached out with the hand he wasn’t leaning his weight on, desperate to touch Phil. He hadn’t exactly meant to go right for the crotch, but that’s where his hand landed anyway, and Phil jumped in surprise, prying his mouth away briefly.

“ _Phillip_ ,” Jeff pretended to scold him as he felt how hard he was, as well. His voice was all breathless amazement, though, and his fingers squeezed around the clothed length encouragingly. “I knew that big dick energy wasn’t a front,” Jeff grinned lewdly, slowly massaging Phil a little bit as he pushed forward to kiss him urgently. Phil’s cock jumped impatiently, like it was frustrated to still be confined in his shorts, and Phil was the one who moaned this time.

“We should go back to the apartment,” Phil agreed, both of them regretful to remove their hands from one another even for just a few minutes. They parted, and even leaned back from one another a bit, but still gazed hungrily into each other’s eyes. “You really want me?” Phil wondered suddenly, his expression dimming slightly with disbelief.

Jeff made a noise of protest, and reached out to push Phil onto his back in the sand, sliding his body over his and kissing him until neither of them could breathe. He pointedly curled his hips a few times, rubbing his bulge against Phil’s to leave no doubt as to what he wanted or how much he wanted it.

“Okay,” Phil gasped, his fingers vise-like around Jeff’s waist, “Okay! Back to the apartment,”

**\---**

 

“Expiration is still good,” Phil checked the bottle quickly, tossing it for Jeff to catch and take a look at himself. Jeff trusted him, of course, but he still looked at the bottle with amazement.

“You’ve planned for this?” He wondered, already on his back on the bed, swim trunks discarded in a heap on the floor ages ago.

“Well, not exactly,” Phil admitted. “We just try to keep condoms and the like in all our safe houses... not that fraternization actually happens that often, but after the eighties, Fury decided he’d at least rather his agents be safe, if they were gonna fool around.” Phil explained as he grabbed one of the pillows Jeff wasn’t lounging on, and gestured him to lift his hips up.

“Damn, you were a kinky bastard in your younger years, weren’t you?” Jeff teased, already breathless again as Phil situated the pillow beneath the small of his back.

Phil stood back from the bed, and wiggled his eyebrows at Jeff as he pushed down his own swim trunks. They landed with a wet sound against the floor, but that didn’t detract from the moment at all as Jeff felt his mouth water again.

“Who says I’m not, now?” Phil sassed, and Jeff swallowed in anticipation as Phil crawled over him.

They made out for a while, leisurely shifting their bodies together, skin sliding against skin until the damp ocean water was replaced with perspiration. Jeff couldn’t believe how amazing Phil’s cock felt rubbing against his own, and he was sure he could come exactly like this if they kept on. His cock was already beginning to leak precome, but when Phil finally reached down, he only touched it casually, briefly. He began to move his mouth over the rest of Jeff’s body, taking his time, until he was resting on his haunches between Jeff’s legs, his fingers playing against Jeff’s ass cheeks.

Jeff immediately reached for the abandoned lube beside him, not taking his eyes off of Phil as he grabbed it and handed it out to him. Phil accepted it, squeezing a generous amount over his finger.

Phil eased his finger inside of Jeff slowly, only removing it to apply more lube when he felt even the tiniest bit of friction, before sliding the digit in again. Jeff didn't need him to be that careful with him, it wasn't like this was the first time he's been fingered, but it was also beautiful torture and he moaned unashamedly. When Phil's finger was finally seated in up to the knuckle, he stroked it around carefully, searching.

"Christ, Phillip!" Jeff cursed, half-writhing off of the pillows when Phil's finger found his prostate.

Phil smiled proudly, looking quite pleased with himself as he settled down more comfortably onto his stomach. He kept his hand as still as he could, only moving the tip of his finger, stroking over that spot again and again in a maddeningly slow tempo. His breath ghosted across Jeff’s balls and he occasionally darted his tongue out to stroke it up the length of his cock, but he continued to keep his rhythm slow, working Jeff up until his entire body was shaking.

"Phil, please. Please," Jeff whined, his back arched up off of the bed as his body desperately sought release. His cock was swollen and red, the vein so prominent that he could see his pulse, a dribbling mess all over his abdomen and stomach. Jeff babbled other words, he was sure, but his mind was too far gone in his arousal. The only things he was absolutely aware of were the places where Phil was touching him.

"Yeah," Phil agreed breathlessly, and curled his free hand around Jeff's cock. "Come on, come for me," He stroked him firmly four times and then he was, finally, coming in powerful bursts that made his whole body curl with the effort.

Jeff was quite vocal in his orgasm, his hands gripped around Phil's on his cock, holding his hand still even as his own body still moved. Phil's finger slipped out of him with the movement, but he allowed it and simply wiped the lube off on the sheets before sliding his palm warmly up and down Jeff's thigh.

"That's it, that's it." Phil soothed him down, as he was still trembling, his cock twitching uselessly in their hands, emptied. Phil released a long and deep groan and had to pull his hand free to slide himself up on the mattress a bit, fisting his own cock quickly.

Jeff was still gaping down at himself, holding onto himself like he was afraid to let go, and Phil quickly came over Jeff's stomach, their come mixing together against his skin. Jeff moaned and dropped his head back against his pillow, before turning his head to stare at Phil. Phil tilted in closer to kiss him, open-mouthed and breathless as he thrust his hips into his hand, until he had nothing left and collapsed back onto the mattress next to Jeff, both of them gasping for air.

"Holy smokes," Jeff whispered, looking down at himself as he pushed his finger through the mess on his stomach. Absolutely unbelievable. Was he actually still just dreaming? Did they even wake up yet this morning, and go for a swim? Did he actually just have mind-blowing sex with Phil Coulson? “Holy smokes.” He whispered again, dropping his head back against his pillow. Unbelievable.

“Yeah.” Phil chuckled softly in agreement, sounding pretty amazed himself.

**\---**

 

That night, neither of them had any hesitation to share the bed with one another. They both slept deeply and peacefully, Phil curled up on his side and Jeff spooned tightly around him.

“You sleep like a koala,” Phil teased him the following morning, laughing, but Jeff’s morning wood pressed against his cleft and he quickly wasn’t laughing anymore.

“I’ll climb you like a tree,” Jeff growled into his ear, nibbling on the curve of cartilage as he dropped one hand to Phil’s cock and thrust his hips against his ass in counterpoint.

**\---**

 

Phil strode up to the table, giving the group a smirk as he observed their card game.

"Daisy's good," He warned the others, "don't ever believe anything she says."

"Says the guy with the worst poker face on the team." May drawled, rolling her eyes.

"Welcome back, Coulson!" Elena greeted warmly. He'd been gone for just over seven days, running an op with a team stationed in western Canada, and everyone had noted his absence from the base.

Jeff didn't say anything. When Phil had approached them, a small draft of air had wafted his scent over in Jeff's direction, and it had absolutely frozen him. Whatever cologne Phil was wearing today, it was _powerful_ , and it was achingly familiar.

So much so that Jeff had a rather immediate and uncontrollable response to it.

"Jeff? You want me to deal you in again, or..." Daisy trailed off, tilting her head a little in Jeff's direction, spying the expression on his face. "Or are you gonna debrief Phil?"

Jeff got to his feet, setting his cards facedown on the table as he slowly glanced over in her direction.

"I'm out." He told her, his focus quickly returning to Phil. "I've got a debriefing to attend to."

Each of them at the table hesitated in their own way, glancing at one another before looking at Jeff. Daisy laughed softly, unsure.

"Uh... you know, I was using that as a joke, like..." She trailed off. "You didn't have to make it sound so _serious_."

"But Daisy," Jeff gave her a mocking serious look. "Debriefings _are_  serious! They require... intense focus." He looked back at Phil, who's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Well, why don't you and your intense focus go somewhere else?" Mack complained. "You're making me uncomfortable."

Phil's smirk widened as Jeff merely stared at him, and he led the way up to Jeff's office, bidding a bright and casual farewell to his teammates. Jeff followed without another word to the group.

"What is _that_  about?" Daisy wondered in a stage-whisper. "He looked like he wanted to eat Phil alive."

"Think about that statement for a moment, and then never repeat it aloud again in my presence." May replied dryly. There was a moment of silence, and then they heard Daisy murmur in realization,

"Ohhh,"

Jeff and Phil strode quickly down the hall and around the corner into his office; as soon as he'd shut the door behind him, he approached Phil in the middle of the room and held him by his waist, keeping him still. He tucked his nose against Phil's neck and breathed in deeply, settling his body against Phil's as all of his senses seemed to spark to life and focus solely on the man in his arms.

"Jeff," Phil chided lightly, his body shaking with laughter as he settled his hands on Jeff's waist as well. He didn't push him away, though, and Jeff nuzzled his skin, breathing him in and brushing his lips lightly over his neck.

"What are you wearing?" Jeff moaned, nuzzling beneath the collar of Phil's polo to find the dip of his shoulder.

"Um," Phil laughed a little nervously, "my clothes?"

" _No_ ," Jeff scolded him, sliding his cheek against Phil's jaw before nuzzling beneath his ear. "Your smell, it's _so good_ ," He moaned lowly, parting his lips against Phil's neck and resting his tongue flat against his skin as he breathed in deeply again.

"Geez, you're like a dog with a bone," Phil joked, his fingers tightening around Jeff's hips, clutching him close.

"I'm not a dog," Jeff murmured with a grin, "but I do have a bone for you."

Phil laughed, and did push at him for this. Jeff straightened and pulled his face away from Phil's neck, but he kept his lower half pressed against him.

"I got pretty gross during the last op. Just took a quick shower before meeting you guys downstairs." Phil shrugged. "Nothing special. No cologne, no nothing,"

"There's something," Jeff insisted, leaning forward to press the bridge of his nose against Phil's temple. "Your hair, your skin - it's..." He trailed off as he breathed in, thinking of the scents. "Sage? Some kind of wood,"

"Well, there's definitely wood." Phil drawled, pointedly rutting his hips once against Jeff's. Jeff laughed, and then wrapped his arms around Phil's back.

"It smells like the shampoo we used in that motel, the stuff we stole and used while we were hiding in the safe house." Jeff realized, closing his eyes as he leaned his cheek against Phil's and simply held him, breathing him in.

"We didn't _steal_  it - they leave those little bottles on purpose!" Phil said, not for the first time. "But... yeah, I found some stuff online and thought I would try it. After all... I do remember how you kept telling me how great I smelled, while we were hiding out."

"I - I said that while you were asleep!" Jeff protested, leaning back again. Phil merely smirked at him.

"I was asleep?" He mused, and Jeff gaped, put out. "I returned the sentiment, you know," Phil reminded him, but Jeff still pouted.

"That's so embarrassing. You _heard_  that?"

"I also heard you masturbating in the shower at that motel, but I didn't make a big deal out of that one, either." Phil shrugged, and Jeff's mouth fell open wider. A blush bloomed across his cheeks, as well, and Phil smiled. "I was quite pleased by the discovery, I assure you."

" _Fuck_." Jeff hissed, embarrassed nonetheless. Phil's hands suddenly slid down around his ass, and he squeezed slowly.

"Hey, hey, don't get so embarrassed that you forget what we were doing!" Phil complained, and he rubbed his hips against Jeff's again. "I showered with that soap for a reason, you know!"

"Mmm, did you?" Jeff quickly and sufficiently became distracted by Phil once more, and he mirrored his stance, sliding his hands down to hold onto Phil's ass as well. "Damn that _is_  good," He sighed, giving in as he dipped his head, giving the opposite side of Phil's neck attention now.

"I certainly don't _hate_  the smell, but this pavlovian response in you is something else," Phil wondered, sliding his hands up Jeff's back, one of them reaching further for Jeff's hair.

"I don't know," Jeff hummed against his ear, nibbling on the lobe, "As soon as I smelled it, I just picture you, aroused, moaning for me. I can't separate the two."

"Just thinking of me aroused gives you a boner? That easily?" Phil wondered with honest curiosity, and Jeff kissed and nibbled his way along Phil's jaw as he answered him.

"It's not that simple. It's everything all together. Besides, sense of smell generally invokes strong memories. And you, Phil... you invoke rather _strong_  responses. Especially given that I know what you look like naked." He ended his explanation with a smile and a soft kiss against Phil's mouth.

"Good thing I've got a strong man to deal with them then, huh?" Phil figured, pressing his fingers fondly against Jeff's scalp. Jeff laughed, and kissed him more deeply.

"Such a charmer." He teased. "I'd make a snake charming joke, but that's beneath me."

"In a minute, _I'd_  better be beneath you," Phil returned, and Jeff groaned.

"Okay, joking time is over," He decided, and wrapped his arms more firmly around Phil's back as he tilted his head and kissed him with intent.

**\---**

 

Sharing a bed together was never awkward anymore. In fact, Phil often preferred it to sleeping alone. They were well-matched sleep mates: while Phil liked to be tucked up, his arms and legs curled inward toward his body, Jeff loved to sprawl out. He definitely took up more than half of the bed, but Phil didn’t mind at all. In whatever free space he could find, he curled up and snuggled in and felt safe, comforted, protected.

And when Jeff wanted to snuggle him like a koala, well, Phil was more than okay with that, too.

* * *

_It's a deep fire that burns_  
_So hungry, you make me_  
_So hungry, you make me_  
_So hungry, you make me_  
_I surrender_  
  
_I love you cause I can't stop_  
_I need you cause you won't stop_  
_Baby I wanna thank you but I can't stop_  
_I wanna love you cause you won't stop  
I'm like a junkie for you, baby_


End file.
